


catch a falling star

by jyancity



Series: for a rainy day [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Aquariums, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage, Married Life, inspired by JCC episode 24, they were acting so married how was i supposed to not write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26672203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyancity/pseuds/jyancity
Summary: “Do you remember what today is, starshine?” Taeyong asks, and the toddler stares at him in confusion.“Today?” He ponders for a moment before his eyes light up, a bright smile overtaking his face. “It’s Thursday!”“Not quite.” Taeyong grins, and Johnny’s shoulders shake as he laughs. “It’s Tuesday, my love. But more important, today is your…?”“Birthday!” The toddler cheers, and both his dads join in the celebration, dancing around the kitchen for a second.-Johnny and Taeyong celebrate the birth of a star.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: for a rainy day [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940698
Comments: 20
Kudos: 98





	catch a falling star

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the same timeline as my previous work "duvet day" which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25547698). You don't have to read that to understand this work, but much like Johnyong themselves, they're a pair ˙ᵕ˙

Taeyong wakes up to chilly air, the duvet completely askew on the bed, and his son nuzzled into his chest like an adorable space heater. The rain is coming down softly outside his window, crystalline droplets falling from the eaves outside the bedroom window. In his arms, Yejun begins to stir, his little limbs stretching out. He whimpers, just a small sound, but one that Taeyong knows has the potential to turn into a full-on cry.

“Shh, you’re alright.” He murmurs, planting a kiss on the toddler’s forehead. “No crying, not today.”

Taeyong rubs soothing circles into the child’s back as he comes around, big brown eyes fluttering open and taking in his surrounding. Those same eyes finally land on him, and Taeyong didn’t know that his heart would still have the capacity to melt after three years of being this little boy’s dad.

“Papa?” Yejun mumbles.

“Right here, son.” Taeyong smiles, ruffling through his bedhead. “When did you climb into our bed last night, hm? Did you have a bad dream?”

“Mmhm.” Yejun sits up, further displacing the comforter. Taeyong shivers.

“That’s okay, you’re always safe with dad and papa.” Taeyong pinches a chubby cheek. “Speaking of, where’d your dad go?”

“Dunno.” Yejun blinks, looking around with new curiosity and purpose.

“Why don’t we go find him, hm?” Taeyong sat up, grabbing Yejun and giving him a sonorous kiss on the cheek before setting him on the floor. The child let out a squeal, running out the open door at top speeds. Taeyong grins for a moment, wondering how he got so lucky. He leaves the bed unmade, shuffling down the hall and around the corner, to where Johnny is stood by the stove, apron slung around his neck and their son propped on his hip.

“Maybe when you’re older, little star.” Johnny chuckles, pressing a kiss to the squirming toddler’s forehead. “If you help me flip the pancakes now, I think it might end up on the floor. That’s not very yummy, is it?”

“That’s yucky.” The little boy’s nose scrunches, just the same way Johnny’s does. Taeyong muffles a laugh behind his hand as he walks up behind them, perching his chin on Johnny’s shoulder as his arms come around both of them.

“Do you remember what today is, starshine?” Taeyong asks, and the toddler stares at him in confusion.

“Today?” He ponders for a moment before his eyes light up, a bright smile overtaking his face. “It’s Thursday!”

“Not quite.” Taeyong grins, and Johnny’s shoulders shake as he laughs. “It’s _Tuesday_ , my love. But more important, today is your…?”

“Birthday!” Yejun cheers, and both his dads join in the celebration, dancing around the kitchen for a second.

“How old are you today?” Johnny prompts.

“This many!” The toddler holds out his three fingers. They cheer again.

“Oh, you’re so smart.” Taeyong takes the toddler into his arms, allowing Johnny to slip back to the griddle before their breakfast is horribly burnt. “Why don’t we go watch some cartoons while Dad finishes breakfast, hmm?”

“Cartoons _before_ breakfast?” Yejun’s eyes fill with stars at the thought, and Taeyong laughs, whisking him off to the living room.

“Only for your birthday.” He gives the boy an extra squeeze as they land on the couch, pulling out a remote and switching on a rerun of _Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood_. It broke Johnny’s heart that their kid didn’t seem to have a healthy appreciation for _Mr. Rogers_ , but Taeyong was able to create a happy medium with this show, at the very least.

Yejun leans back against his chest as Taeyong settles into the couch. What is it about kids that makes them so _warm_? Taeyong is drifting off to sleep without even realizing it, despite the fact that he just woke up. Only seconds later, his eyes fly open as Johnny’s palm pats at his cheek, rousing him from the light snooze he’s fallen into.

“Sleepin’ on the job?” Johnny grins, Yejun balanced in his arms. The toddler is wide awake, eyes still trained on the tv.

“It’s not a job if I’m not getting paid.” Taeyong sticks his tongue out, sitting up. “Actually, when you think about it, I’m paying to do this job.”

“I try to think of it more as an investment.” Johnny chuckles, reaching down for the remote and switching off the tv. “Breakfast is ready, my loves.”

Taeyong pushes himself off the couch, trailing after his little family as Johnny settles their son into his booster seat at the dining table. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit are spread out over the table, and Taeyong immediately dives in. He takes a long sip from the mug set by his plate, immediately destroying the cute little foam heart Johnny had so lovingly made with the espresso machine he’d gotten last Christmas.

“What do you want for your special birthday lunch, kiddo?” Johnny asks, his own mug cradled in his hands. Yejun has syrup all over his face, his chubby toddler cheeks packed with bacon and pancake, like a cute, sticky chipmunk.

“I can choose!” He manages to cheer around the food, immediately becoming puzzled. They have been working on letting him gain more autonomy as he enters fully into toddlerhood. According to the parenting books, it diverts tantrums — a phase they endured shortly after his second birthday that lasted for three hellish months before their sweet son came back. All it took was a regular nap schedule and letting him pick his own shirts, in the end. Taeyong knows they are lucky to have a kid who isn’t particularly given to screaming when angry.

“We can get a pizza, or maybe go to a restaurant?” Taeyong starts offering suggestions as their son continues thinking. Steam would be coming out of his ears, the simple decision clearly a bigger deal to their child than they had thought.

“What about McDonalds?” Johnny asks. Yejun’s eyes light up.

“I can have ice cream, too?” He beams.

“Of course! It’s your birthday, little star.” Taeyong ruffles his hair. Their kiddo doesn’t get much sugar, but if there was ever a day to indulge, it’s this one.

Breakfast is simple from then on. Both Johnny and Taeyong have the day off from work (the perks of self-employment) and have no solid plan, but want to do what they can to make their little guy’s day special.

“Yejun, what do you say we go to the aquarium today?” Johnny asks as he wipes the syrup on the toddler’s face away with a wet wipe. “You want to go see the fish?”

“I like fishies.” Yejun nods happily.

“Why don’t we go get you ready, then?” Johnny lifts the child out of his booster, whisking him off to the room as Taeyong takes care of the dishes, stashing the extra food in tupperwares and loading the dishwasher. As soon as he finishes by hitting the “wash” button, Yejun comes tearing around the corner.

“Papa look!” He cries, holding out the front of his shirt. It’s a long-sleeve gray crewneck with a plush blue whale sewn to the chest. He had bought it without even thinking, and he was pleased to see he knew his son’s tastes.

“Wow, don’t you look handsome?” Taeyong wipes his hands, swinging his son up into the air. Yejun squeals, kicking as Taeyong zooms them back to the room. Johnny is in the walk-in closet, poking his head out as Taeyong gently drops the toddler on the mattress and begins tickling him.

“Daddy! Help me!” Yejun squeals.

“You need help?” Johnny yells, appearing in the closet door with his shirt halfway over his head. He’s otherwise dressed, but Taeyong isn’t so preoccupied that he doesn’t notice when Johnny shoots him a wink before he dives into the chaos. “I’m on my way, Yejunnie!”

It’s Taeyong’s turn to squeal as he’s lifted airborne, Johnny sweeping him quite literally off his feet as he twirls him away from the bed, setting him gently on the rocking chair in the corner. It’s a relic from the baby days, but it’s still useful on nights when Yejun has a particularly scary dream, or just can’t sleep. Johnny ducks down, pressing their lips together for a brief second.

“Good morning, by the way.” Johnny grins, and Taeyong’s heart does a somersault.

“Good morning,” he replies, “mind watching the little tornado while I wash my face and put some clothes on?”

“Anything for you.” Johnny replies, pressing another kiss to his forehead before stepping back. “Uh oh, I think I caught the tickle bug! Yejun, run!”

The toddler screams, sliding off the bed and tearing down the hallway, Johnny and his long legs hot on his heels without exerting half the effort. Taeyong laughs, shoving off the chair and heading into the ensuite.

Their bathtub has been overtaken by rubber ducks and floating toys, no-tears bubble bath, and various other signs of the little boy who so rapidly took over their lives in the best way possible. It felt like just yesterday that they had been baby-proofing before the agency visit. The Taeyong of those days would be horrified at his current skincare routine, a mere shell of the twelve-step he once did, but such is the fate of a parent. He slaps on some moisturizer after washing and considers it a win, heading to the closet to figure out an outfit.

Ten minutes later found him in a light gray sweater and black jeans. As he strolls into the living room, Johnny looks at him, down at himself, and then at Yejun before letting out a laugh.

“Well, at least none of us will get lost.” He gestures to his own charcoal sweater and black jeans, and then down to Yejun’s little whale sweater and, of course, toddler-sized black jeans. Taeyong laughs.

“Good thing he’s too young to get embarrassed by stuff like this.” He grins, slinging a pre-packed backpack of snacks and other “just-in-case” items over his shoulder, should they need them. Johnny slings his camera over his neck, scooping Yejun into his arms and heading to the car.

The aquarium isn’t close to their home, but it’s a sleepy Tuesday in the rainy city, so traffic isn’t unbearable. Johnny pays for parking while Taeyong unbuckles a kicking Yejun. The toddler is looking around at the empty pier.

“Where’re all the people?” He peers around Taeyong’s shoulder as he lifts him from the car, immediately beginning to squirm to be let down.

“Probably at work.” Taeyong sets him down. “No running please, little star.”

“No running.” Yejun parrots, eyes widening in delight as Johnny makes his way back over to them. “Daddy! We’re right here! Did you miss us?”

“I missed you so much, it was a long two minutes!” Johnny laughs, scooping Yejun up onto his shoulders. “Ready to see some fishes, kid?”

“Yeah!”

The pier _is_ unusually quiet, though Taeyong knows that it’s due in part to the rain. Down the sidewalk is the waterside ferris wheel, lit up against the slate-gray sky. 

“What’s that?” Yejun points at the great wheel, tugging at Johnny’s hair to get his attention. Taeyong suppresses a smile at his husband’s wince.

“It’s a ferris wheel, starshine.” Johnny winces as the toddler yanks on his hair again. “Hey! Take it easy up there, you’re going to pull all of daddy’s hair out.”

“I think you’d still be handsome with no hair.” Taeyong teases, slinging his arm around Johnny’s waist. “A very distinguished egg-head.”

“Let’s not go there.” Johnny rolls his eyes, motioning Taeyong forward as they approach the ticket window. He goes through the motions of grabbing two adult tickets and a child, and Johnny pulls Yejun down in time to get a stamp on the back of his hand.

“Papa, look at my fish stamp.” Yejun holds out his hand, grinning wide.

“Very nice.” Taeyong nods. “Did you say thank you?”

“Thank you!” Yejun yells at the ticket attendant, squirming in Johnny’s arms to be let down again. His father complies, and he races forward, reaching the door before realizing he can’t exactly pull it open on his own. He turns back to his fathers. “Hurry please!”

“Well, when you ask so politely…” Taeyong snorts, motioning for the toddler to stand clear of the door as he tugs on the handle, holding it open. The first room of the aquarium is a large, open space, leading to an absolutely enormous tank which spans from floor to vaulted ceiling. Even Johnny has to crane his neck to look all the way to the top, and poor Yejun nearly topples backward trying to see the whole thing.

“Careful,” Taeyong catches him as he stumbles back, “it’s a long way up, huh?”

“Yeah.” The tot whispers.

There’s something so endearing about his childish wonder, watching schools of fish swim peacefully across the tank. Taeyong loses himself in the peaceful blue waters, taking in that which human eyes could never imagine seeing once upon a time. A hand slides into his own, and he tears his gaze away from the fish to see Johnny staring at him with a downright gooey expression.

“Cut from the same cloth, the both of you.” Johnny gestures toward Yejun, who is still staring with an open mouth at the fish. Taeyong’s heart swells, squeezing his husband’s hand. Johnny uses his free hand to grab the camera slung around his neck, catching a few shots of Yejun.

“You wanna see what else is here, starling?” Taeyong kneels, running a hand through his son’s wavy black hair. It’s in need of a trim, but that’s a worry for a different day. Yejun redirects his wide brown eyes to his papa, and nods excitedly.

“We can see a whale?” Yejun takes his hand, little fingers curling around two of his.

“I don’t know if this aquarium has a whale, but we can see.” Taeyong nods.

The aquarium, as it turns out, does not have a whale, but Yejun still has a good time regardless. He jumps up and down at the sight of the baby harbor seals, waves excitedly to the octopus, and nearly dives headfirst into the hands-on tidepool exhibit. The sleeves of his crewneck are hopelessly soaked, and Taeyong swiftly and expertly pulls him into the nearest bathroom and changes him into the spare sweater from the backpack. Yejun only pouts a little bit at not being able to wear his whale sweater until Taeyong reminds him of the ice cream he’s getting later, and he quickly pipes down.

Johnny hovers around them through the rest of the exhibits, catching shots of the two of them, or just Yejun. As they come to the end of the aquarium, Yejun is beginning to get sleepy. It’s just about time for lunch, and after that is naptime. 

“We go,” Yejun yawns, “Mcdonalds now?”

“Yeah bud. We’ll swing by the drive thru on the way home.” Johnny promises, scooping him into his arms, tucking his head safely into the crook of his shoulder.

“I can have a happy meal?” The toddler’s question is muffled by Johnny’s sweater. It’s too cute. Taeyong pulls his phone out and snaps a photo of his own. He’s been needing a new lock screen.

“Yes, little star.” Johnny chuckles, rubbing his back as they step out into the gentle mist that’s begun falling in the time they’ve been inside. They run to their car, and Johnny holds his jacket over Taeyong’s head as he buckles their groggy toddler into his carseat. It’s a quiet ride home, Yejun dozing quietly in the back seat. They hit the drive thru, and then they’re homeward bound.

“We’re home?” Yejun mumbles as they bump into the driveway. Johnny grabs the food, and Taeyong grabs the kid.

“Yep, it’s lunch time!” Taeyong sweeps through the open front door, slipping his shoes off by the door and whisking Yejun to the kitchen while he’s still awake. If he falls fully asleep and naps until dinner, he’ll be a hangry little monster when he wakes, which won’t bode well for the small get-together of friends they have planned to celebrate their kiddo.

Thankfully, Yejun is more hungry than he is sleepy, and he makes quick work of his happy meal before he’s nearly facedown on his plate. Johnny chuckles, sliding away from his own meal to scoop the tot up.

“I got it.” He presses a kiss to Yejun’s forehead.

“It’s okay, I’ll tag along.” Taeyong follows, the three of them padding down the hall, past their office, to Yejun’s room. He’s just switched to a big boy bed, finally, and Johnny pulls back the space-themed comforter before tucking him in.

“Story please?” Yejun mumbles. Johnny and Taeyong share a look.

“Of course.” Johnny takes a seat on the floor, and Taeyong perches himself on the edge of the bed, rubbing over his son’s belly.

“Once upon a time, there was a daddy and a papa who loved each other very much.” Taeyong began, the words coming to him with the familiarity of a worn picture book. It was their tradition.

“They were very happy together in their little home, just like ours.” Johnny picked up, hand stroking through Yejun’s hair. “But as happy as they were, they knew there was someone missing from their little family.”

“Me.” Yejun smiles, his lids becoming heavier with each blink.

“Exactly.” Taeyong nods. “One day, papa and daddy got a call that there was a little star about to be born, and that the little star would need a home and two parents to love and raise it. And do you know what they said?”

Yejun mutters something, but he’s pretty much asleep at this point.

“They said yes.” Johnny continues. “And when the little star finally made his way into this world, they were there. When the daddy held the star for the first time, his whole world stopped.”

“They named the star Yejun, and they have spent three years loving him. And they will love him for the rest of their lives.” Taeyong watches the slow rise and fall of his son’s chest. Johnny’s hand slides across the blankets, fingers tangling together where they meet right over Yejun’s heart.

“Happy birthday, little star.” Johnny murmurs, ducking forward to kiss Yejun’s cheek. They wait a moment, to make sure he’s asleep, before tiptoeing from the room. As soon as the door shuts, Taeyong sighs.

“I gotta get this place cleaned up before everyone starts showing up for dinner.” He shakes his head. “If you can handle ordering the pizzas, I’ll vacuum the living room and—.”

“Hey.” Johnny tugs his hand, pulling him into his embrace. “I love you.”

It’s been nine years of marriage, but Taeyong’s heart still flutters at the phrase.

“Love you too.” He smiles, tucking his face into his husband’s shoulder. “Obviously.”

They stand in the silence of the hallway, and Taeyong loses himself in the steady beat of Johnny’s heart against his ear, and the muted sound of rain falling on the roof. There are a million things to do— guests to prepare for, a house to clean, but he lets himself linger here, soaking in his gratitude. For this moment, for this man, and for the little boy in the next room. He’s not sure what he did in his last life to be so lucky, but he’s grateful that the stars aligned just the way they did.

Johnny eventually takes his hand again, tugging him down the hall toward the living room, and Taeyong follows, heart completely and blissfully full.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/jyancity%E2%80%9D%20rel=) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/jyancity%E2%80%9D%20rel=)!


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